As part of the Pan African Space Station program in 2009, Toumani Diabate appears live in concert for his first run of South African performances in Cape Town. The king of the kora offers an incredible solo set in the equally beautiful setting of St. Georges Catherdral. 

Recorded live at St. Georges Cathedral, Cape Town, RSA on the 2nd October 2009. 

Toumani Diabate - kora

www.toumani-diabate.com

Toumani Diabate - St. Georges Cathedral, Cape Town, 2nd October 2009

Babu were considered by many to be one of South Africa's jazz fusion super groups. They have since disbanded but continue to work as individuals in various projects. This set was recorded live at the Rocking The Daisies Festival outside of Cape Town and shows them rocking it a lot harder than before playing an extended version of their piece "Drunken Caravan". 

Recorded live at Rocking The Daisies Festival, Cape Town, RSA on the 9th October 2010.

Kesivan Naidoo - drums
Reza Khota - guitar
Ronan Skillen - tabla, percussion, didjeridoo
Shane Cooper - fretless bass

https://soundcloud.com/babumusic

Babu - Rocking The Daisies Festival, Cape Town, 9th October 2010

A unique one-off tour before the official release of the Gito/Nibs duo album "Sweet Thorn" featuring Yaniv Taichman on oud and Elad Neeman on percussion. This performance at the Bat Centre in the heart of Durban is an adlib extended jam at the end of the show with all 4 musicians firing on all cylinders. 

Unfortunately Gito was murdered on way his home from a concert with Nibs van der Spuy in April 2004. He was 39 years old. 

Recorded live at The TransAfrica Express, Bat Centre, Durban, RSA on the 15th March 2003. 

Gito Baloi - vocals, bass, feet percussion
Nibs van der Spuy - guitars
Yaniv Taichmann - oud
Elad Neeman - percussion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gito_Baloi

Gito Baloi, Nibs, Yaniv Taichman, Elad Neeman - The Bat Centre, 15th March 2003

A short set captured at the singular Fynbos Festival in Malmesbury in the Western Cape of South Africa. All in One had a relatively short life space but all of the artists have been involved in numerous recording and performing projects since the 1970's in South Africa. 

Recorded live at The Fynbos Festival, Malmesbury, RSA on the 24th January 2010.

All in One: 

Steve Newman - guitar 
Errol Dyers - guitar 
Hilton Schilder - melodica

All In One - Fynbos Festival, Malmesbury, 24th January 2010

Arguably one of the best drummers to come out of South Africa, the legendary Kesivan Naidoo performs a drum solo of mountainous proportions. 

Recorded live at The Armchair Theatre, Cape Town, RSA on the 25th October 2006.

Kesivan Naidoo - drums

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kesivan_Naidoo

Kesivan Naidoo - "Drum Solo" - Armchair Theatre, Cape Town, 25 Oct 2006

The jazz chameleon of Marcus Wyatt captured here with an unbelievable line up at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, South Africa. The track, "Australopithecus Africanus" taken from his 2002 album "Africans in Space", showcases the mania and diversity that is the South African jazz scene. 

Recorded live at The Taphuis (SAfm Stage), National Arts Festival 2004, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, RSA on the 5th July 2004.

Marcus Wyatt - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Afrika Mkhize - Keyboard
Herbie Motlatsi Tsoaeli - Upright Bass
Sidney Mnisi - Saxophone
Kesivan Naidoo - Drums

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Wyatt

Marcus Wyatt - The Taphuis, Grahamstown - 5th July 2004

The renowned Zimbabwean Oliver "Tuku" Mtukudzi performs a chilled acoustic set in KZN. 

Recorded live in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Oliver Mtukudzi - vocals & guitar
Sam Matature - drums

http://www.music.org.za/artist.asp?id=84

Oliver Mtukudzi - Live in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

This duo have performed a fair few concerts together but have yet to release an official album. This live show featured a few of Steve Newman's solo pieces reworked for Lu Dlamini's vocals parts. Uniquely South African with incredible musicianship. 

Recorded live at The Rainbow, Pinetown, Durban, RSA on the 14th April 2013.

Steve Newman - guitar
Lu Dlamini - vocals

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Newman_(musician)
http://www.ludlamini.co.za/

Steve Newman & Lu Dlamini - The Rainbow, 14th April 2013

Recorded in a swamp forest on a farm outside of Durban, Dan Patlansky completely extended the parameters of the North Coast that night. What makes this performance unique is the collaboration with sitar player Guy Buttery. Together with Dan's band, they feel their way through a continuous vamp of "So What" exploring what is essentially a one chord song.  

This is unfortunately not the greatest recording for many reasons but is uploaded here for your enjoyment regardless. 

Recorded live at Claremont Farm Swamp Forest, Salt Rock, KZN, RSA on the 9th November 2008.

Dan Patlansky - guitars
Guy Buttery - sitar
Smelly Fellows - bass
Andy Turrell - drums

www.danpatlansky.com


Dan Patlansky - Claremont Farm, Salt Rock, 9th November 2008

US based kirtan singer, Karnamrita Dasi visited South Africa for a few concerts culminating in this festival performance. The band had never performed together as a whole and something utterly beautiful emerged from their impromptu joined forces.

Recorded live at The Fynbos Festival, Malmesbury, RSA on the 24th January 2010.

Karnamrita Dasi - vocals, harmonium
Steve Newman - guitar
Ronan Skillen - tabla
Neil van der Walt - bass

www.karnamrita.com

Karnamrita Dasi - Fynbos Festival, Malmesbury, 23rd January 2010

The ultimate South African World Music supergroup, Tananas rose to fame with the release of their debut album in 1988 which opened with the tune presented here, "Nada". 

Unfortunately this recording has some defects as the tapes were (I assume) dubbed from the master tapes and are now 25 years old. It does however offer a glimpse into Apartheid South Africa and the incredible music created at that time. 

Recorded at Roxys, Johannesburg, Transvaal (now Gauteng), RSA on the 15th November 1990.

Steve Newman - guitar
Gito Baloi - bass, vocals
Ian Herman - drums 

Buy the official album here - https://tananas.bandcamp.com/releases
Tananas Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tananas

Tananas - "Nada" - Roxys, Johannesburg, 15 November 1990

Epitomising the sound of rural KwaZulu-Natal with his use of traditional instrumentation and hypnotic song froms, Madala Kunene is undeniably one of Africa's greats. 

This extract is taken from a concert which told the story of Madala's life growing up in Cato Manor through the mediums of song and spoken word. Unfortunately "the tape ran out" but we managed to capture this portion of 'Vila Voco' from his most recent album '1959'. 

Recorded at The Umkhumbane Community Hall, Cato Manor, Durban, RSA on the 1st May 2012

www.madalakunene.co.za

Madala - 'Vila Voco' - Umkhumbane Community Hall, 1st May 2012

AfriKan ContraBand defined:

African |
ˈafrɪk(ə)n/ - relating to Africa or those who live or are from the continent. 

Contraband | 
ˈkɒntrəband/ - goods that have been exported which are unlicensed or unofficial. 

AfriKan ContraBand serves to showcase a private archive of live, unofficial and unreleased recordings captured in Africa or in some way or other, are of African descent. 

All of the recordings are used here without permission. They aim to highlight unique musical moments which otherwise would have forever remained in the vaults. 

Support African Music!

Afrikan Contraband

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